FOR UPPER ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

The level of difficulty can be modified by including a demonstration

of each step, however this removes the critical listening component

of the task. Students should be encouraged to ask for clarification or

repetition, with coaching as needed to teach how to formulate

effective questions to gain information.

Materials:

Sheets of construction paper, card stock, or plain or colored paper.

Scissors, pencils, ruler, tape, colored markers for writing on spirals.

Instructions to students:

This is a paper cutting task to make spiral spring decorations that will resemble spring coils.

Listen carefully and follow the direction after you are sure you understand what to do. If you’re

not sure, ask yourself: Do I need the direction repeated or do I need it explained?

Optional: Why is that an important instruction? (We can’t erase an incorrect cut. “Measure

twice, cut once.”)

1.With scissors, cut off and round each corner of your paper. This will make a

rounded rectangle shape. Save the corners for the recycling bin.

2. Take your ruler and pencil to the outer edge of the right side of your shape.

Measure and draw a 1-inch line perpendicular to the edge. Next, make another small mark at

1-inch parallel to the edge. Following along the edge, make more 1-inch parallel marks about

every two inches until you have made 6 marks.

SWING INTO SPRING WITH STRINGS OF

SPIRAL SPRINGS!

A LANGUAGE-PACKED LISTENING ACTIVITY

SMP

3. Cut along the 1-inch perpendicular line, and then turn to cut a line

connecting the 6 marks. You have now started to make a spiral.

4. Continue cutting your spiral along the edge of the shape, using your

judgment to keep the width about an inch. This part doesn’t have to be

perfectly exact, but you can use your ruler if needed.

5. Continue cutting around the shape, and as you near the spot where you

started, curve enough to stay an inch away from the starting point. Keep

cutting in a circle, following the same pattern.

6. As you near the center, stop cutting when you are left with an oval-type

shape of about 2 – 3 inches.

7. Go back to the starting point and cut along the

edge to round it out.

8. Now you have a spring spiral! Optional: Use your colored markers to

decorate or write vocabulary words along the spiral.

Tape the end to hang up your spring spiral, letting it fall gently.

Teacher: These can be made in a variety of colors

for party decorations.

If you want to modify the task, you can make

a pattern and copy it for the students to cut.

Yours would probably look much better than

my homemade version pictured here.

© Susanne Marie Poulette 2018 www.wholebodylistening.org

SMP